The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and Tolkien - The One Ring

The artistic interpretation of Tolkien's imagination can be breathtaking. Or it can be appalling... Join in on the discussion of the artistic representations and collectible items in the Tolkien universe.

Although I am a member of the Scoundrel Art Community Forums, where the site was formally launched, I have been encouraged to post this announcement also on The One Ring, where I understand there are many passionate and dedicated Tolkien fans and collectors.

We have improved the navigation between the storyboard chapters and a further enhancement will occur in March.I hope seeing the completion of this Two Towers storyboard brings back wonderful memories of the film.

Coming up in March: • article (3), provides an intriguing insight into collecting replicas – this will be the first of a series of articles on replica collecting • upload of a set of recently acquired sketches• the ‘release’ of The Return of the King storyboard.

In order to provide all the sketch images for the storyboards, where an official Topps sketch was not available, personal sketch cards (PSC) were commissioned from a number of remarkable artists. Three artists undertook to complete the majority of these sketches: Javier Gonzalez from Blackhilt Studios and the dynamic duo of Jason Potratz and Jack Hai. Many of their amazing creations have already been featured in the sketch collection when the site was released in January, however, a number of their PSC were received after this.

This March update showcases eleven of Javier’s PSC. All are poignant and dramatic scenic depictions, three of which are spectacular uncut two-card panels of multi-character scenes, these can be viewed (and expanded for a detailed view of the artistry) at:LOTR Arts new art.

In addition, the chapter navigation for the storyboards has been further enhanced (with the chapter numbers transferring as you scroll from the top to the end of each chapter). These storyboards can be viewed at:LOTR Arts FOTR storyboardLOTR Arts TT storyboard.

Planned for 26 March: instalment 1 of The Return of the King sketch storyboard.

It has been an eventful three months on since its release, and it is a pleasure to mark this event with an article from Keven Reinke, photo-real pencil artist, on the inspiration of The Lord of the Rings on his art and to showcase 38 of his stunning LOTR and Star Wars portraits – truly remarkable, dramatic and emotive characterisations:

As mentioned previously, the dynamic duo of Jason Potratz and Jack Hai have provided many sketch images for the site's storyboards. Most of their amazing creations were featured in the sketch collection when the site was released in January, however, a number of their PSCs were received after this.

This 16 April update showcases five of Jason’s and Jack’s PSCs. Four for The Return of the King storyboard and one to complete a scene for The Fellowship of the Ring. Seething with drama, these sketches remarkably transform film into sketch imagery. These sketches can be seen (and expanded for a detailed view of the artistry) at:

1. One of the most wonderful things about The Lord of the Rings sketch collecting at the time of the release of the Topps sets was the camaraderie that developed between like-minded collectors and artists in the LOTR sketch community, and a major contributor to this group was Holly. Holly has kindly offered to write about her sketch collecting experiences and showcase some of her amazing collection. You can read her story at:

2. There can be no better thrill than trying to reunite a sketch card panel where the pieces have been randomly inserted into packs. The LOTR Arts collection has a number of such remarkable reunions. This will be the subject of a LOTR Arts article to be posted in September.

In 2006, Renae De Liz completed 110 sketches for Masterpieces set, including some stunningly unique multi-panels. One such panel depicted the saga of the Rings of Power. Featured in New Art is the recent acquisition of the third piece of this panel:

The Lord of the Rings has generated a passion for all things Middle-earth and inspired many collecting goals. One of the most unique is Ken’s Fellowship character sets. In an article (with scans of amazing art), Ken gives an account of the inspiration for, and his many years of dedication to, creating multiple Fellowship (and Hobbit Dwarf) sets. This fascinating article can be read at: articles.

This article provides a remarkable account of the creation of the WETA limited edition bronze statue of Gandalf, the search for the location of all 36 statues, a fascinating interview with the sculptor and many amazing photos, eg.

After more than a decade of Lord of the Rings sketch collecting, the passion for these mini masterpieces persists but the time of frenzy acquisition has drawn to a close. However, the search continues for sketches which enhance or complete the imagery of the LOTR Arts sketch storyboards.

This update showcases eleven Masterpieces I and II sketches (featured with their screen cap), each in their own special way expressively depicting a character and scene, eg.

I also wish to announce an exciting new LOTR Arts feature coming in April: Middle-earth artists : showcase. Commencing with a showcase of Tolkien’s art in all its forms, each month, a different artist will be featured through his/her depiction of Tolkien’s Middle-earth.

After many hours of researching and writing, this article features J.R.R. Tolkien’s art in all its forms.

There have been volumes written about Tolkien’s unique creativity and a multitude of websites devoted to him and the inspiration his words and art have had on others. The material for this article has been derived primarily from three books, which provided a definitive insight into Tolkien’s process of artistic creation:

1) ‘J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator’ and ‘The Art of the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien’, both (ed.) W.G. Hammond and C Scull (renowned Tolkien scholars)

After a break of many months, I am thrilled to announce another exciting feature on .

Kenneth Ditrich, dedicated LOTR guru, agreed to contribute to LOTRArts special feature Middle-earth artists : showcase. As Ken’s first contribution he researched and wrote an article on the LOTR Art of Alan Lee. Ken prepared this some months ago and it was uploaded on the site. Unfortunately, it appears that for some viewings some elements are not being fully downloaded. We are attempting to resolve this problem, however, rather than delay releasing this wonderful analysis any further, we have decided to post this and request feedback from members if some parts appear to be truncated.

In November, Middle-earth artists : showcase will feature a heartfelt dedication to Roger Garland (who tragically died on 26 October 2017) and his unique art and contribution to the legend of Middle-earth.